Taste Alberta: St. Albert butcher has a protein for every palate (with recipe)

Kyle Iseke, owner and meat-cutter at D’Arcy’s Meat Market in St. Albert, says wild boar is a creative option for summer grilling.

Photograph by: Bruce Edwards
, Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - Do not, I repeat, do NOT get butcher Kyle Iseke started on what to barbecue if you’re looking for something a little different.

A passionate meat-cutter and owner of D’Arcy’s Meat Market, Iseke will generate enough ideas to keep your grill fired up from here to eternity.

There’s suckling pig and elk, and lesser-known cuts of beef such as hanger steak, flat iron steak or skirt steak. Iseke carries them all. He asks only that customers talk frankly with the staff in his St. Albert shop to determine what protein best serves the palate, and the pocketbook.

“If people want organic meat, we’ll get them organic meat,” says Iseke. “If they want the most tender and fatty meat regardless of hormones, I will find them something to knock their socks off. All we ask is that they engage us. As a good consumer, you want to know what you are buying. People will get a wonderful amount of information about buying meat to the standard that they require.”

Iseke, 29, bought his business from his father in 2009 after quitting university midway through an engineering degree because his heart wasn’t in it. He worked at his dad’s butcher shop while he decided what to do next. He soon realized he loved the business, so went back to school to train as a meat cutter.

Today, Iseke specializes in meat raised in Alberta, not always an easy task for small business operators who must cover the higher cost of the premium product, and be able to access small slaughterhouses and distributors to keep a steady supply on hand. But with the purchase of a refrigerated truck last year, Iseke sources proteins from his favourite farmers, and can offer the pick of the herd to customers.

It takes very little creativity to buy a richly marbled rib eye and slap it on the barbecue. But if you want to impress guests with your imagination, there are numerous delicious options for Alberta-raised proteins, including wild boar produced by Earl and Deb Hagman of Hog Wild Specialties near Mayerthorpe.

“I do fresh wild boar on a weekly basis,” says Iseke. “We have a cross-breed, which is half-domestic and half-wild, or purebred wild boars … it’s something cool and exciting to try.”

Iseke emphasizes that wild boar is just a different breed of pig, and tastes like a cross between pork and beef. If you own a smoker, you can prepare a delicious pulled pork with boar shoulder. Boar chops are also a novel option, and don’t require any special skill to prepare.

“Boar is great for summer outings and backyard smoking,” he says.

Iseke also recommends fresh Alberta lamb to impress guests on a summer’s evening. Double loin chops and rack of lamb are ideal for the barbecue, but a playful choice is the lamb lolly pop. Cut from a rack of lamb, the lollies have a small medallion of lamb on one end, and then a nice bone for holding with your hand while you eat the meat.

“It’s a tender part of the lamb, and an easy thing to do if you enjoy the flavour of lamb. All you need is to oil and salt and pepper, and grill them. They can be eaten rare or medium rare and are fantastic.”

Lamb sirloin is a boneless piece of tender meat with very little fat that can benefit from a nice, 24-hour soak in a marinade before grilling. Fresh Alberta lamb will cost you more than the frozen product from New Zealand, but if you balk at the $20- to $25-per-pound price tag, you can also get a handmade local lamb sausage from Darcy’s Meat Market and toss it with pasta for under $10.

This recipe comes care of George Hong, a staff member at D’Arcy’s Meat Market. Korean cut short ribs are also known as Maui short ribs. The cut comes from the chuck, or front quarter of the animal, and works well with a marinade. This recipe yields two to three servings.

Ingredients:

8 pieces of Korean cut short ribs (roughly 1 1/2 pounds/750 grams)

1 cup (250 mL) brown sugar

1 cup (250 m L) light soy sauce

1 cup (250 mL) cold water

1 tablespoon (15 mL) sesame oil

3 cloves of garlic, diced fine

3 green onions, diced

A few slices of fruit diced (pineapple, apple, or pear)

Method:

Start with brown sugar in a bowl and then stir in soy, water and sesame oil. Stir in garlic, green onions and fruit. Add short ribs and ensure that all the meat is covered by the marinade for 16 to 24 hours, using a zippered plastic bag or a piece of deep Tupperware. Remove meat from the marinade and discard any green onion, garlic or fruit that may be attached to the short rib. Discard the marinade.

Preheat the barbecue to medium-high heat. Grill the meat for approximately 3-5 minutes per side, flipping it three times. The bone marrow should not be red at all. Remove the meat from the heat and let it rest for a minute. Then use kitchen scissors to cut into one-bone sections.

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